Nathan Killoran
Senior Vice President, Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing Software at Xanadu
Old Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Summary
🤩
Rockstar🎓
Top SchoolNathan Killoran is a senior software and research leader with 11 years of experience at the intersection of quantum computing, machine learning, and software engineering, now leading fault-tolerant quantum computing software at Xanadu. He progressed from hands-on research in quantum optics and entanglement to technical leadership roles including CTO—Software, bridging deep technical work with product and platform strategy. An active open-source contributor and technical writer on flagship projects like PennyLane and Strawberry Fields, he has improved both backend performance (tensor caching for CV simulation) and developer-facing documentation for automatic differentiation and quantum measurement systems. Nathan’s background spans PhD-level quantum information, applied deep learning research, and real-world quantum communication experiments, giving him a rare blend of theory, practical systems, and communication skills. He also brings a sustainability-minded curiosity, having applied quantum concepts to light-harvesting models that suggested measurable gains in solar energy performance.
11 years of coding experience
16 years of employment as a software developer
M.Sc. Mathematics, M.Sc. Mathematics at University of TorontoB.Sc. Theoretical Physics, B.Sc. Theoretical Physics at University of GuelphPh.D. Physics (Quantum Information), Ph.D. Physics (Quantum Information) at University of Waterloo
English, German, French
Github Skills (19)
learn-ruby-on-rails10
back-end-development10
python10
technical-writing10
user-manual10
machine-learning10
basics10
photonics10
tensorflow10
quantum-computing10
backend10
documentation10
data-structure9
algorithm9
algorithms9
Programming languages (9)
Github contributions (5)
XanaduAI/strawberryfields
Apr 2018 - Oct 2020
Strawberry Fields is a full-stack Python library for designing, simulating, and optimizing continuous variable (CV) quantum optical circuits.
Role in this project:
Backend Developer & ML Engineer
Backend Developer & ML EngineerContributions:2 releases, 34 reviews, 201 commits in 2 years 6 months
Contributions summary:Nathan primarily contributed to the backend of the Strawberry Fields project, focusing on optimizing quantum optical circuit simulations. Their work involved implementing tensor caching for the beamsplitter matrix within the TensorFlow backend, improving performance. They also addressed issues related to multi-graph usage and code readability and maintenance by removing deprecated code and fixing typos, and made several improvements to the structure of the codebase. The user made further improvements involving state preparation and measurements.
full-stackpythonquantumquantum-computingquantum-programming-language
PennyLaneAI/demos
Oct 2019 - Nov 2022
Introductions to key concepts in quantum programming, as well as tutorials and implementations from cutting-edge quantum computing research.
Role in this project:Technical Writer
Technical WriterContributions:412 reviews, 58 commits, 81 PRs in 3 years 1 month
Contributions summary:Nathan primarily contributed to the repository by updating and revising documentation, including tutorial files and the glossary. The commits show edits to tutorial introductions, descriptions, and formatting to improve clarity and content. Additionally, the user added and updated video links and descriptions, expanding the resources available to users.
quantum-computingquantum-machine-learningqmlkey-conceptsautomatic-differentiation
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